Modern power systems may include many types of differing power sources. For example, direct current (DC) power systems are commonly integrated into traditional alternating current (AC) power grids to provide supplemental power to or otherwise interface with the power grid. These systems may exist in large-scale implementations by commercial power providers or small-scale implementations by businesses and residential users.
Solar panels are a common type of power source that generates direct current (DC) voltages, although other types of DC power sources such as electrochemical power sources also exist. Typically, the DC voltage and DC current from one solar panel is well below the needs of the voltage and current needed for the Alternating Current (AC) power grid. Typically, many solar panels are used in combination to provide the necessary voltage and current for the AC power grid. The DC voltages/currents also need to be converted to AC voltages/currents. A significant challenge is to efficiently transfer the DC power from each solar panel to the AC power grid. Note that this problem is not limited to converting from DC power to AC power. Even if the solar panels (or other DC power sources) were to be combined to provide DC power, there are challenges in efficiently “combining” the DC power. A significant factor in this challenge is that the power/voltage/current output of a solar panel is not fixed.